Crafts & Textiles

Ms Jaya Jaitley, Founder and President, Dastkari Haat Samiti is the coordinator for the South Asian Women’s Network on Crafts and Textiles.

Coordinator’s Report for the South Asian Women’s Network on Crafts and Textiles

LINKING MINDS: THROUGH CRAFTS AND TEXTILES
PEACE BETWEEN AND WITHIN SOUTH ASIA
This is a Group consisting of representatives who are concerned with creativity in Crafts and Textiles, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The main objectives of their proposed action plan are:
A.  SUSTAINING CULTURAL IDENTITIES AND LIVELlHOODS
B.  PROMOTING SKILLS, PRODUCTS AND CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS

SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS TO BE TAKEN UP AS THE ACTION PLAN OF THIS GROUP

I. CREATING A SOUTH ASIAN MAP OF CRAFTS AND TEXTILES WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF:
1. DOCUMENTATION
2. AWARENESS RAISING
3. HIGHLIGHTING COMMONALITIES IN CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS WITHIN SOUTH ASIA.

FUNDING POSSIBILITIES TO BE EXPLORED THROUGH
- GOOGLE EARTH FOUNDATION,
- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
- SMITHSONIAN
- UNESCO
- MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS WITHIN INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS

IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH
1. COLLECTING AND SHARING OF INFORMATION TO EXTRACT THE COMMONALITIES
2. EXPLORING ARTISTIC TRADITIONS AMONG THE COUNTRIES TO USE ON THE MAP
3. GRAPHIC DESIGNER FOR THE LAYOUT DESIGN, TEXT WRITERS AND A COMMON EDITOR

II. 'HAAT' CRAFT EXPERIENCES IN EACH COUNTRY
SUGGESTED SEQUENCE
1. DELHI HAAT - DECEMBER 2009
2. PAKISTAN – MARCH 2010
3. NEPAL – MID-2010
3. BANGLADESH ... END - 2010
BALANCE ... TO BE DECIDED
ARTISANS/PARTICIPANTS TO BE SUGGESTED BY EACH PARTNER. FINAL SELECTION TO BE MADE BY THE SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN’S NETWORK FOR CRAFTS AND TEXTILES.

ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS :
(i) EACH COUNTRY’S REPRESENTATAIVE TO SUBMIT SPONSOR TO SUPPORT AND FACILITATE THE EVENT,
(ii) EACH COUNTRY’S REPRESENTATIVE TO CONTACT THEIR RESPECTIVE EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCILS TO UNDERSTAND RULES AND REGULATIONS AND SHARE THESE WITH OTHERS.

III. PROMOTING THE IDEA OF ESTABLISHING SMALL OR MEDIUM HAATS DEDICATED TO SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY PARTICIPANTS:

MODEL: DILLI HAAT

IV. ORGANIZING SKILL AND CULTURAL WORKSHOPS:
THIS WILL BE A TWO WEEK WORKSHOP UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF QUALIFIED DESIGNERS TO GUIDE CRAFTS PEOPLE OF TWO COUNTRIES TO LEARN THE SKILLS AND PRACTICES OF EACH OTHER AND CREATE SOME PROTOTYES WHICH WOULD BE LATER TAKEN UP FOR PRODUCTION IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY FOR LOCAL MARKET AND EXPORT. DURING THIS INTERACTIVE PERIOD TRAINING WOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED IN MARKETING PRACTICES, CREATION OF BRAND IDENTITY AND BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, FORMATION OF SELF HELP GROUPS AND ACCESS TO MICRO CREDIT.

FUNDING:
- INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS
- EXPORT PROMOTION ORGANIZATIONS
- BANKS
- MICROFINANCE ORGANIZATIONS
- CORPORATE HOUSES
SHARED FUNDING AMONGST ANY TWO COUNTRIES

Participants in the South Asian Network on Crafts and Textiles:

1.Coordinator : Ms Jaya Jaitly, Founder and President, Dastkari Haat Samiti, New Delhi, INDIA
E-mail :dastkarihaat@gmail.com
Mobile :

2. Ms Pramila Acharya Rijal , President, Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN) and Vice-President, SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneur’s Council (SCWEC), Kathmandu, NEPAL
E-mail :info@fwean.org.np
Mobile :

3. Ms Aneela Haque, CEO, Andes, BANGLADESH
E-mail : aneela@andes-ltd.com
Mobile :

4. Ms Shaira Saleem, Vice Chairperson, SCWEC, MALDIVES
E-mail : shaira@sheri.com.mv
Mobile :

5. Ms Mariam Yousufi, CEO, Mariam Handicrafts Co., Founder President, PSAWO (Prosperity and Selfness for Afghan Women Organization), AFGHANISTAN
E-mail : mariam.yousufi@hotmail.com
Mobile :

6. Ms Sally Holkar, Founder President, Women Weave, Goolrukh 83, Worli Sea Face, Mumbai-400025, INDIA
E-mail : womenweavers@yahoo.com
Mobile :

7. Ms Ambareen Imran, ASASAH, 880-B, Faisal Town, Lahore, PAKISTAN
E-mail : ambareenimran@hotmail.com
Mobile :

8. Ms Reema Nanavaty,
Chairperson,
SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre,
SEWA, Ahmedabad
E-mail :reemananavaty@sewa.org
Mobile: